For many years, Unity and Unreal have been the dominant forces in game development, together accounting for roughly 70% of all titles released on Steam in 2025. While open‑source alternatives like Godot have made notable strides, the market remains largely controlled by these two giants, with only a handful of large studios opting for proprietary solutions such as Capcom’s RE Engine.
In this landscape, three seasoned industry veterans—Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient—believe there is still space for a fresh, more adaptable engine. Their new venture, Immens, seeks to combine cutting‑edge AI assistance with a modular architecture that empowers small teams to build games faster and cheaper. The founders bring an impressive résumé: experience at Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is ripe for a new engine, noting that "a few years ago the idea didn’t exist, but with AI‑supported programming we can start building from scratch again." He envisions a tool that offers extensive guidance while still giving developers full control, allowing them to achieve full functionality in a fraction of the usual time.
Valient, Immens’ chief technology officer, stresses that the AI embedded in the engine is not the typical "prompt‑to‑content" gimmick. Instead, it is designed to make the codebase highly extensible. "AI can reason over large codebases and data sets," he explains. "If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even a solo developer can add a custom particle system or any other feature without being limited to simple scripting.
The AI helps you extend the engine quickly, but the real power lies in the flexibility of the underlying architecture." The motivation behind Immens is rooted in the current economic pressures of game development. Brussee describes the market as "rough," with production budgets soaring and the risk of failure growing for studios of all sizes. "We need new ways of working that lower costs and let smaller teams deliver high‑quality experiences faster," he says.
The trio believes that AI‑enhanced workflows can break the cycle of ever‑increasing expenses, enabling creators to iterate rapidly without jeopardizing their livelihoods. De Jong, the chief product officer, points out that the engine space has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a stable foundation, it also stifles innovation. "The industry faces many challenges, and simply repeating the old methods won’t solve them," he asserts.
"We need a different approach—one that prioritises innovation over mere standardisation." One of the biggest criticisms of existing engines is their monolithic nature. Developers often have to conform to proprietary file formats and rigid pipelines. De Jong envisions an engine that adapts to the user rather than forcing users to adapt to it.
"Flexibility is key," he says. "You should be able to swap components, append new tools, and tailor the interface to your exact workflow. If I need a set of shortcuts and UI elements that match my background, I can build them into the engine without fighting against a one‑size‑fits‑all system." Valient acknowledges that AI is a double‑edged sword. While it is "really powerful," it can also "go off the rails" if left unchecked.
Immens therefore places a strong emphasis on transparency and control. Users will be able to see exactly what the AI is doing, review its decision history, and ensure repeatable results.
This level of oversight allows developers to create bespoke tools for specific tasks—such as generating a set of characters with particular traits—in minutes rather than weeks, dramatically reducing cost and time. The engine’s architecture is deliberately agnostic.
Immens does not enforce a single workflow; instead, it provides a framework that lets teams decide how much AI to incorporate and where. De Jong stresses that the underlying design must be robust enough for the AI to understand the developer’s intent correctly, while still giving the freedom to opt out of AI assistance when it isn’t needed. Interoperability is another pillar of Immens’ philosophy. By adopting open, text‑based standards, the engine can seamlessly exchange data with tools like Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline.
"When files are human‑readable, any software can parse them," Brussee explains. "This opens the door for smarter interfaces across the entire toolchain, something that proprietary engines have historically resisted." There is a vocal backlash against AI in game creation, with some critics warning that future "click‑to‑game" solutions could reduce the craft to a series of prompts. Immens’ team acknowledges these concerns but frames AI as a powerful assistant rather than a replacement. Valient believes that AI will make developers better, not obsolete, and that responsible usage will determine its impact.
"Any tool can be misused," he says. "Our responsibility is to guide its application toward constructive outcomes." Economic anxieties also swirl around the AI boom, with many questioning whether the sector is a bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many startups vanished, the underlying technology— the internet—persisted and flourished. "AI isn’t going away," he asserts.
"Our focus is on building a solid engine that leverages AI to accelerate development, not on riding a speculative hype train." Funding remains modest. Immens has secured its "first commitments" but has not disclosed amounts, describing the target as "reasonable". Brussee cautions against over‑capitalisation, warning that excess money can breed complacency. The company intentionally stays lean, consisting of the three founders plus a handful of helpers, believing that a small, focused team can make more decisive progress than a sprawling organisation.
Currently, Immens is working on a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow. The team expected to reach this milestone by the end of the year, but they are already two‑fold ahead of schedule, aiming to release the demo within the month. Brussee admits that predicting timelines is challenging when development accelerates so quickly. Regarding the business model, Immens admires Epic Games’ revenue‑share approach—"we succeed when you succeed"—but admits that it is too early to commit to a specific strategy.
Ultimately, the founders hope their engine will enable creators to push the artistic and technical boundaries of games. "We love games and want to see more risk‑taking and creativity," says Brussee.
"If our technology can help bring innovative experiences to life, that would be amazing."